Opening Films

Chris Cooper is an FBI veteran who may be a traitor; Ryan Phillippe is an up-and-coming agent who's assigned to watch him. The mystery is whether or not the guy is guilty, and there's plenty of tension leading up to the answer. But in an idiotic move, the filmmakers give it all away in the opening frames. A good idea is to cover your ears and blink your eyes at the beginning, until the TV image of Attorney General John Ashcroft is gone. Only then does the gripping film-long flashback begin. (ES) Rated PG-13

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA

The Narnia producers, the special-effects wizards from King Kong and Lord of the Rings, Disney backing -- clearly, Bridge to Terabithia has the right pedigree to become a kids' hit. AnnaSophia Robb (Because of Winn-Dixie) acts more like a boy so that Josh Hutcherson (RV) will act more like a girl (you know, use his imagination and draw things and stuff). Together, they imagine a mythical world -- and get to rule over it. (MB) Rated PG

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS

It's My Three Sons and Cinderella combined and reversed: A mechanic named Monty (Idris Elba) has three adorable daughters and a harridan ex-wife who sues to regain custody. Good thing Monty meets just the kind of potential stepmother the girls need: An attorney who's smokin' hot (Gabrielle Union). Director Tyler Perry plans to upend our assumptions about race, gender and class. (MB) Rated PG-13

GHOST RIDER

Angst is Nicolas Cage's specialty. With his hangdog eyes he can express emotions ranging from torment to humiliation, both of which will help him in this Faust-turned-comic-book tale of a motorcycle stuntman forced to work as the devil's fiery cop-on-Earth in exchange for his immortal soul. (MD) Rated PG-13

OK, you try designing a spaceship that will travel 100 million miles and then deposit a half-ton of sensitive scientific instruments on the surface of another planet. I mean, a century ago, H.G. Wells had us believing that the Martians had it in for us, and now you can just stroll into an IMAX theater and see what it looks like to walk on Mars. Amazing. (MB) Rated G